Power saving method and apparatus for intermittently reading reproduction apparatus

Abstract

A reproducing or recording/reproducing apparatus having a constitution in which produced data read from a recording medium is stored in memory at a first transfer rate in a unit time and the stored data is read at a second transfer rate lower than the first transfer rate in the unit time. An operation of means for reading the reproduced data from the recording medium is stopped when an mount of the data accumulated in the storage means gets larger than a predetermined amount, allowing to save the power for driving the apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Any one of a reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: data reading means for reading data from a recording medium;   driven means, supplied with a drive signal from a driving means, for driving the recording medium with respect to the data reading means;   buffer memory means into which reproduced data read from the recording medium by the data reading means is written at a first transfer rate and from which the stored reproduced data is read at a second transfer rate, the second transfer rate being lower than the first transfer rate;   switching means for selectively switching off power to the driving means such that the driving means does not provide the drive signal to the driven means; and   control means for controlling an on/off switching operation of the switching means according to an amount of the reproduced data accumulated in the storage means.   
     
     
       2. Any one of a reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein. when the amount of the reproduced data accumulated in the storage means is smaller than a predetermined amount, the control means controls the switching means to supply power to the drive means, such that the drive means supplies the drive signal to the driving means, and   when the amount of the reproduced data accumulated in the storage means is greater than the predetermined amount, the control means controls the switching means to shut off power to the drive means, such that the drive means does not supply the drive signal to the driving means.   
     
     
       3. Any one of a reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount is greater than an amount of the reproduced data read from the storage means, at the second transfer rate, between a time when the control means controls the switching means to shut off power to the driving means, such that the driving means does not provide the drive signal to the driven means, and a time when the control means controls the switching means to supply power to the driving means, such that the driving means provides the drive signal to the driven means. 
     
     
       4. Any one of a reproducing apparatus and a recording/reproducing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the driven means comprises at least any one or more of a focus coil, a tracking coil, a spindle motor, and a feed motor.